


Two Minutes Left, One Minute, Fifteen Seconds, Three, Two, One-

by ChaoticLesbian



Series: Criminal Minds [10]
Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Bombing, F/M, Fire, Hurt Aaron Hotchner, Hurt Emily Prentiss, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Protective Aaron Hotchner, Protective Emily Prentiss, Protective Team, Team as Family
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:27:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28366902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticLesbian/pseuds/ChaoticLesbian
Summary: credit to @/hotchssidebitches on tiktok for this idea xWhen the BAU is called in to help out with a bomb about to detonate, two agents make a life changing decision in hopes of saving the life of a young girl.
Relationships: Aaron Hotchner/Emily Prentiss
Series: Criminal Minds [10]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2008030
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Two Minutes Left, One Minute, Fifteen Seconds, Three, Two, One-

𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝑵𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 15  
𝑽𝒊𝒓𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒂: 21:32  
𝙇𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝑩𝑨𝑼  
"Wheels Up. You will all be briefed on the Jet." Hotch said urgently, striding towards the exit of the bullpen. The team shared a worried glance before quickly grabbing their bags and following his lead quickly towards the Jet.  
"We have a bomb that has been placed inside the Mall. Officers are already there planning an evacuation. This is the third bomb found this month, they are all believed to be planted by the same person. The first two however were only in small corner shops and no one was hurt. They need us to build a profile to try and stop a fourth instance from happening." Hotch informed. 

It didn't take long for the jet to land and for the team to arrive at the scene. Since leaving the BAU, a small fire had started in the back of the mall and was rapidly growing. Officers were getting people out as quickly as they could. Garcia was lead to the computers with a few other FBI Technical Analysts. The team immediately started work on a profile, using evidence and any information they could. 

Twenty minutes was all it took. The team had abandoned their work to help with the last few people in the building. The fire had started growing at an even more alarming rate.   
"Guys." They all turned their attention to the hacker.  
"The bomb is on a count down. We have no way to stop it."  
"How long do we have Garcia?" Hotch asked.  
"Five minutes."  
"We need to get these last few people out of here now and the crowd away from the blast range!"   
_**Three Minutes**_  
"Please." Emily looked over to where a couple were sobbing, trying to head back into the building. They had managed to evacuate everyone and officers were trying to keep the crowd at a safe distance.  
"My daughter is still in there, please. She was on the second floor." Emily could hear the pure terror that was in the mothers voice. She turned to look from the couple, to the building, to her team. She made a split second decision and bolted into the building. Hotch turned at the movement, his heart dropping at the sight of his agent running back into the line of danger.  
"EMILY! EM!" He practically screamed her name but her movements never ceased as she disappeared back through the double doors. Hotch went to sprint after her, there was no was was he going to let her die, he couldn't, not yet. There was so many things he had left to say to her. Morgan and Rossi held him back, saying things to him but every noise blurred into one as his vision started to cloud. The team had never seen him this distraught. A minute went by and Hotch was pacing back and forth, there was still no sign of Emily.  
"Garcia? How long does she have?" Hotch asked, not really wanting to know the answer.  
"... Two minutes sir."  
"Are we sure there's no way to stop it?"  
"We've tried everything Sir. There's nothing we can do especially now with the fire." Hotch knew that Emily wasn't leaving that building without the girl. He turned to make sure none of the team were watching him when he met JJ's gaze. Her entire body was shaking and she did nothing to hide the stray tears that were making their way down her cheeks, illuminated by the glow of the rapid growing fire. She understood. She knew what he was about to do and why he was doing it. Emily was one of the most important people in both their lives, if anything happened to her-. JJ gave him a subtle nod and mouthed a thank you. He gave her a sad smile before breaking past Rossi in a sprint, running straight into the building after Emily. He could hear the cries of his team behind him but nothing was going to stop him. He would follow Emily to the end of the earth and he made peace with that. The minute he stepped through the doors he was yelling her name, calling out for her. The smoke was thick and the heat was just as intense as he thought. Careful to avoid falling debris and parts of the fire, he slowly made his way to the second floor of the mall. He caught sight of Emily cradling a young girls body to her chest, making her way through the building. He sprinted towards her.  
"Emily!"  
"Hotch!" He hugged her tight, his eyes quickly scanning over her for any sign of injury.  
"Garcia?" He asked hurriedly through the comms.  
"Thirty seconds sir." He shared a fearful glance with Emily before they started sprinting towards the exit. The distance was too far, there was no way they were going to make it. Emily seemed to realise at the same time and they came to a stop, moving quickly to behind the cashier desk of the closest shop. If they couldn't make it out, the best they could do was find cover and hope for the best. Hotch rested his hand on her cheek, pulling her face to meet his. Her eyes trailed down to his lips before returning to meet his gaze. His eyes held a softness that she rarely saw. Leaning in, she kissed him as hard as she could, pushing every emotion into it. A gentle moan tumbled past her lips and he pulled away, just holding her face in her hands.  
All their eyes were on the doors. The crowd that was a mix of both evacuees and people passing by seemed to silence as their focused turned to the team and to the building.  
" ** _Five_**."  
_The team all held one another's hands, silently praying their two other team, members would make it out. Their family.  
" **Four**."  
_"I love you Emily Prentiss."  
_" **Three**."  
_"I love you too, Aaron Hotchner." _  
" **Two**."  
_Emily shielded the young girls body with her own, as Hotch wrapped his body around her's. They were going out, but at least they were going out together.  
" _ **One**."_

The once already on fire building, exploded into a vast fire ball as the bomb finally detonated. JJ let out a heart shattering cry as she tried to run towards the building. Everything seemed to go in slow motion. Families were crying, others were watching with sympathy for the team. Morgan held JJ back, even as she trashed in his grasp, trying to punch her way towards her best friend. Tears fell down Garcia's face as she let out a broken 'no'. Her mind still trying to comprehend what had happened. Rossi turned to Spencer to see the young genius trying not to break down and he just pulled him into a hug. Spencer broke down into sobs at the contact. JJ had given up fighting Morgans grasp and her body gave out. Morgan gently lowered her to the floor as she turned to cry into his shoulder. They were gone. They were really gone.

"Look!"

The cry of a person from the crowd caught the teams attention and they focused their eyes on the burning building. Two people were leaning on each other for support as they limped and stumbled past the door, the smaller figure carrying a young child in their arms. Every member of the team sprinted forwards.   
"HOTCH!"  
"EMILY!" JJ tried to remove the child from Emily's arms but the older agent just shook her head, holding her body closer. JJ knew what she was trying to say, her motherly instincts had kicked in while trying to protect the child, and she wasn't letting go until she knew they were safe. So instead, JJ rested her hand on Emily's lower back, guiding them towards the awaiting ambulance. Rossi helped Hotch into the same one, knowing the two needed to be together, needed to know that the other was alive.  
"We'll follow behind in the SUVs."

JJ was pacing back and forth, unable to sit still. Rossi was staring at one spot on the wall. Garcia doing the same. Morgan was sat in the window, watching cars pass by and Spencer was twiddling his thumbs. Emily had been rushed in for emergency surgery and Hotch was undergoing CPR as they brought him in. The little girl was luckily okay. They had attached her to a IV and needed her to stay in for a few days to help her heal, but thanks to Hotch and Emily, she would make a full recovery. The mother and father walked into the waiting room to find the team.  
"How are they?" The mothers voice was weak from her crying.  
"Emily is in surgery and hotch is on a ventilator. They don't know if they're going to make it." Her hand flew to her mouth as she leant into her husbands touch.  
"Will you let us know when-" He tried to speak for his wife but his emotions over powered him. JJ nodded.  
"We will let you know."  
"Thank you."  
"What's her name?" JJ asked, her voice stopping them before they reached the door. The mother turned back to face her.  
"Rowan. She's just turned eleven."  
  


The next two days were tedious. Emily had made it out of surgery but was placed on a ventilator as well. After a lot of arguing from the team, both Hotch and Emily's beds were moved into the same room. None of them wanted to leave, and no one made a rational choice to take charge to send everyone back to the hotel. Strauss had given them all paid leave until Hotch and Emily could be brought home. She knew how close the team was, how much they needed each other. They had slept on the uncomfortable hospital chairs and used the showers the doctors had showed them.   
Rowan was recovering well, the doctors were hoping she could leave sooner than they thought and both of her parents had been down to visit multiple times, checking up on both agents as well as bringing much needed coffee to the team.   
Hotch was the first to wake up. It had been three days since the accident and the team were kicked out the room as they helped settle him down. His throat was scratchy from the ventilator but the pain was shoved aside as he saw Emily next to him. Her skin was pale and she still had soot in her hair and cuts covering most of the body he could see. The team came back in once the doctors left and were quick to assure him that she was making a recovery.   
Emily woke up on the fith day much to the relief of the team. And she was sat up and talking by the end of the sixth. The team had gently pushed their beds closer so they could hold one another's hands. Now they were both awake, Hotch had ordered them all to go back to the hotel to shower and get some real rest and the team didn't argue. Once they were gone, Hotch held Emily's hand tighter, drawing soft patterns on the back of it. It wasn't long before they had another visitor. Emily's face lit up at the sight of the little girl who seemed to be well and healthy.  
"The doctors say she can go home, we wanted to see you before we left."   
"I'm Elizabeth"  
"Emily."  
"Thomas."  
"Aaron. The four introduced themselves and Rowan sat carefully on Emily's bed, worried about her injuries.   
"We can't thank you enough for saving our daughter." They had stayed for a few hours before taking Rowan home, leaving Hotch and Emily with their contact numbers so they could properly thank them once they were out of hospital. And two weeks later, they were back in their own home. Hotch had asked if she wanted to stay with him instead of heading back to her appartment and she agreed quickly, not wanting so spend another moment away from him.


End file.
